Mrs. Ashby laughed at a girl's interpretations of a call and Ruth ran out. Their pretty heads were closely bending over the map, when Mr. Fabian passed the living-room door and stopped a moment to consider the picture they made under the soft-shaded light. He went on to his private den without saying a word to distract their attention from (as he thought) their books of learning. "Now listen here, girls!" exclaimed Nancy, tracing a line on the map. "Polly doesn't know much about this end of the United States, and Eleanor doesn't know much more than Polly does but I am supposed to be well informed about Westchester County, having lived there when I was a little girl. So I can tell you something about this road I've traced." The four girls lifted their heads and listened eagerly. "You know Dobb's Ferry and its vicinity was there in the days of the Revolution, and Washington camped at that town. Even the Headquarters he occupied is to be seen as it was at that time. This road, running easterly from Dobb's Ferry, is the old turnpike road used by the army as it marched towards the Hudson. "Now this is what I say! Why shouldn't there be lots of old houses along that road, or in that locality, that were there during Washington's time? And if standing still, why shouldn't there be old furniture, or odd bits, to be found in them?" Eleanor instantly caught Nancy up on one of her phrases. "Naturally the houses would be standing still--you wouldn't want them to be dancing a tango, would you?" "Oh, pshaw, Nolla!" scorned Nancy, in disgust at such a poor attempt to joke, "you know, well enough, what I mean." The other girls laughed at Nancy, and Polly added: "Well, what is your plan?" "I say, let's drive along the River Road as far as Dobb's Ferry, and then turn off to this road and venture on any country road we find, that has old-fashioned houses which look as if they were built in 1776." "That sounds thrilling!" laughed Eleanor. Her companions refused to smile this time, so she sat grinning at Nancy, as if waiting to attack her again. "I think that plan will answer as well as anything Nolla has proposed, don't you?" asked Nancy. "Yes, we'll try your scheme out, Nan. But you'll have to be the guide through the country, as we haven't the least idea of the lay of the land," said Dodo. "We'll succeed splendidly, as long as we have this map," promised Nancy. The girls pictured many rare treasures added to their collection after this proposed trip, and when it was time for Ruth to go home, each girl had chosen rare and wonderful objects to be found in these imaginary Colonial home-steads they expected to visit on the morrow. Classes had to be attended to before excursions could be enjoyed and then it was lunch-time; but after that they finally started on this trip.